America250PA debuts mobile experiential unit to celebrate upcoming sesquicentennial
BUFFALO TWP — Just two days after America celebrated its 249th birthday, America250PA is looking to get an early start on the country’s 250th birthday party.
Pennsylvania’s branch of the national America250 Foundation brought its Mobile Experiential Unit to Lernerville Speedway in Buffalo Township on Sunday, July 6.
“This is a statewide project that America250PA has developed and is going to be bringing to every county across the state in the next year ... all 67 counties,” said Colin Sheffer, program coordinator for America250PA. “We have a dedicated team that drives and operates this, and they stick with it full time.”
Sunday’s event at Lernerville marked the second public showing of the mobile unit, with the first coming at the Canonsburg Fourth of July parade in Washington County.
The showing at Lernerville was timed to coordinate with the scheduled racing program; the mobile unit began setting up at 2:30, a half hour before the gates opened for the races.
“They wanted to be able to get to Butler County while they were here, and we looked for an event on the days they were available,” said Amy Pack, president of Experience Butler County. “Lernerville, of course, is doing Sunday races today, and we thought that would be a beautiful way to introduce it to the crowd.”
Attached to the mobile unit is a giant screen on which visitors can play one of two two-player games. One is a trivia game called Pennsylvania Pursuit, which tasks players with competing with each other to answer a series of basic questions about American history and government. The other, Keystone Quest, is described as a “retro-style video game that takes players on an adventure across Pennsylvania.”
Visitors can also step inside the mobile unit for a third interactive exhibit called “Commonwealth Chronicles.” Inside is a small recording booth with a microphone and a webcam, where a visitor can share their favorite memories and stories about the state of Pennsylvania.
“You come in here and answer questions about Pennsylvania in video format and it’ll be saved as part of the historical record and kept as part of the 250th anniversary next year,” Sheffer said. “It’s something that we’re going to save for future generations to look back on. If you were around for the bicentennial in 1976, we’d love to hear what your favorite parts of that were.”
Next to the mobile unit was an outdoor photo booth, as well as a solid white replica of the Liberty Bell visitors could sign their names on.
During the event, visitors could spin a standing wheel for a chance to win special America250 prizes.
“We have America250PA swag ... anything from dog bowls to pencils to frisbees. We have a special gift from one of our sponsors, Penske,” Sheffer said. “Next year, Philadephia is hosting the FIFA World Cup, so we also have some prizes related to that.”
The next stop for the mobile unit will be the Mercer County Grange Fair on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 8 and 9.
